“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because  they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. …They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17: 14; 16 NKJV). 

One of the things that happens to those who have fully received Christ as their Savior is the discovery  that those who have not, often  do not like us or accept us anymore.  In fact there will be those who  not only dislike us, but there will be those  who will despise us and hate us!  That can be somewhat shocking at first.  The shock is the realization that they have rejected us when we have not rejected them.  And some of the first ones who reject us is  lost family members.  That can be especially painful and difficult.  Of course the reason for that  is because Jesus, has  translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light! (Col. 1: 12-13). 

And while this is difficult to understand at first it helps us to know that such rejection affirms the reality  of Christ that they see in us!  In essence, it is not just  us they are rejecting, it is Christ Who is in us (Col. 1:27) that they are rejecting.  And Jesus reminds us that if the world  rejected Him, then the world  will also reject us!  (Math. 10: 24-25).

When Jesus came into this world He brought the Light of God into this world (John 8:12) for He was God clothed in human flesh (John 1:14).  And although He  was in this world, He was not of this world.   His light exposed the darkness of our sin, not for the purpose of condemning us, (John 3:17) but for the purpose of redeeming us and delivering us from its bondage!  (Rom. 6: 11-14).     

And that is exactly why the world will hate us.  Because the Light of Christ in us exposes the darkness of sin. Those in the world  are not only  uncomfortable with that but they become angry about that.  They  hate that  (John 3:20).   They were perfectly content until the Light of Christ exposed the darkness of their heart.  When that happens they will either flee from us  or will attack us to try to extinguish  the Light.  But the one thing they will not do is love us. 

But it is not our responsibility to get them to love us.  It is our responsibly to love them. And through that love,  that Christ Himself gives, bring them to the same Light that transformed us!  (Math. 5:44).

James W. Black